Log into Gmail with FIDO U2F USB Security Key

The FIDO U2F USB Security Key is a new method to protect your Gmail account from phishing and hacking. If you are security conscious, then you should know about the 2-Step Verification method that makes use of your mobile phone SMS or Voice Call to access one-time passwords for logging into your Gmail account. Two-Step Verification by mobile phone adds an extra wall of security that blocks malicious attacks which have managed to penetrate the outer wall. This outer wall is your password. If your password has been cracked or intercepted by hackers, they can easily log into your Google account if there is no second wall to block the attempt. That’s the reason why you need to enable 2-Step Verification on your account.

The FIDO U2F USB Key is just another method for 2-Step verification or authentification, but it differs from mobile phone verification in that it is a physical device, a USB drive that is inserted on your laptop or computer to protect your account. As you would expect, this device only works on computers, it won’t work on mobile devices because they don’t have USB ports.

To use the USB security key, simply insert the device on your computer before you log into gmail.At the present moment, the USB device can only be used with the Chrome browser because currently, it is the only browser that supports the FIDO U2F security login system.

One weakness of the password sign in or mobile code verification is that you can be tricked into logging on a fake phishing website that pretends to be Google.com, thus giving away your security codes to a hacker. With the Gmail USB login device, it is impossible to sign into a fake site or URL that pretends to be Google.

The Gmail USB Login Key is supplied by U2F vendors, and manufactured by companies such as Yubico, it does not only work on Google but it can work with any website that supports the FIDO U2F login system.
You can get the USB Key on Amazon